Rural India shining: More women joining the workforce

The good news is in! According to India’s latest Economic Census, more rural women are becoming part of the workforce. More than 68% of India’s population lives in rural areas. Job creation in rural India is now rivalling that in the cities.

This is good news for India’s economy, which has the lowest percentage of women in the workforce amongst all the BRICS countries.

According to the 2013 Economic Census, women represent 31% of the total rural workforce, up from 24% in 2005.

Women in rural areas are at a slight advantage in terms of balancing work inside and outside the home. They need to commute less, as farms and other workplaces tend to be close to their homes.

Expect to see the economic dividends of this trend in the years to come.